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Cajanus cajan
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Family:
FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (Subfam.: Papilionoideae)
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Citation: Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp., Publ. Field Columbian Mus. Bot. ser. Chicago 2: 53. 1900; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 91. 1982; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 139. 1984; Antony, Syst. Stud. Fl. Kottayam Dist. 141. 1989; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 166. 1990; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 177. 1990; Sanjappa, Legumes Ind. 100. 1992; Sivar. & Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 206. 1997; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 159. 2005; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 201. 2009; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 267. 2009.
Cytisus cajan L., Sp. Pl. 739. 1753.
Cajanus indicus Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 248. 1826; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 217. 1876; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 369(261). 1918.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Adhaki, Kakshi, Thuvara, Thuvaraparippu
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Congo pea, Pigeon-pea, Red gram
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Description:
Shrubs 2- 3 m tall; stems ribbed, golden sericeous. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets elliptic to lanceolate, lateral ones obliquely elliptic, 5-13 x 1.5-6 cm, upper surface glabrate, lower surface usually densely silvery pilose; stipules linear 2-3 mm long, stipels filiform 1-2 mm long. Flowers in axillary pseudo-racemes, rarely also terminal. Calyx golden tomentose and glandular, persistent in fruit. Standard petal yellow, 12-17 mm long, often reddish-lined or orange to purple externally; wings yellow, keel yellowish-green tinged orange to purple. Stamens diadelphous, anthers uniform. Pods 4-10 x.0.5-1 cm, yellow or green striped with maroon or dark purple, straight to sickle-shaped, pubescent and glandular, weakly septate within; seeds 2-9, cream or reddish brown, slightly laterally flattened, 4-9 x 3-8 mm.
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Habit:
Shrub
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Flowering & Fruiting:
December-March
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District(s):
Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Palakkad, Kozhikkode, Thrissur, Idukki, Wayanad
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Common in plains, cultivated
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Distribution:
Worldwide
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Yellow
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
Yes
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
Yes
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Chittar, Olathala, Saivila
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